yeah guys ,,, the G is a hard car to drive ,, drove the new EVO X and its so much easier ,,,hmm but i love my G though !!!

 

Well the reason why starting in 2nd isn't as good for your clutch is a matter of physics... 2nd has a high gear ratio than 1st, meaning the rate at which it turns your wheels is greater so you'll have more "grinding" in order for the clutch and flywheel to fully engage from a dead stop (kinda like what TerribleONE453 said). It's just a matter of severity... you'll have some grinding starting in 1st, more in 2nd, even more in 3rd, etc.

IMHO 1st gear on the G really is just to get the car moving from dead stop and doesn't really do much after that.

 

me too ,, i never start from 2nd gear from a full stop ,,you can tell that its not good for the car just judging from the engine sound coming from it

 

just got my G37 6MT yesterday and I have to say it's easier than G35 6MT but still pretty hard to drive compare to all other cars such as Evo, Si, bimmers, etc..

 

Starting a manual in second has been common practice ever since higher geared manuals have been around. Many cars with autos actually have you take off in second if in a "luxury or daily driving mode". If you were in a 4 speed, second would most likely be to tall of a gear and you would have issues as the engine would bog and cut on you unless yo were already moving. Not enough torque down there to get it going with a tall gear.

 

It's ur clutch release. Don't worry as it's natural unless you are a serious driver who can ride almost anything. As you slip that clutch more and more, in your efforts to try and get a smoother transition, it will get easier, but most likely not all from experience. Usually people who have this issue have come from other more modest manuals like honda civics or smaller cars.

When I test drove the G manual, I had no such issues as I thought the clutch was lighter than I anticipated. But my Z has a racing clutch with 700 lbs of clamping force so most do!

 

Thats why trannys have synchros! If you get grinding it's because you have not mated the gears properly. If you are in second at take off, there should be NO grinding heard. The one variable you left out of your argument is HOW tall or bigger is that gear?! if you have an 8 speed tranny then third gear might be small enough for you to start the car with as long as the engine can produce sufficient torque to not bog and cut out.

 

Its a matter of clutch slip. To start off at 2nd, you have to rev more than you would to start in first. Its all a matter of unnecessary wear. Compare a span of one year...b/t a person who always starts in 2nd vs a person who always starts in 1st and I guarantee the clutch will have much more wear on the person who starts in 2nd. 1st gear is there for a reason.

 

So my '92 Stanza with way over 200K on the odometer that was started from a stop in 2nd gear almost half the time is some sort of miracle because the ORIGINAL clutch is still going strong???

 

Clutches for the mass population are designed with slipping in mind. It's why they don't put 6 puck clutches on normal everyday cars. The difference between starting in 2nd, consistently, on a very short gear, is going to be negligible in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes it's better for to wear a clutch out an extra 5000 miles early rather than someone causing accidents because they are stuck in traffic and keep popping the clutch and stalling.

 

With such a small car and little pressure plate clamping load, this is very common.

 

Good point. I suppose it is a matter of how you drive the car, someone can very easily grind the clutch more in 1st than in 2nd – e.g. stop-and-go traffic. But the logic still stands... 2nd is higher ratio than 1st, so therefore it requires more "slipping" for the clutch and flywheel to engage. How much and whether it is negligible in the long run is another topic of discussion.

 

If starting in first every time is going to make you cause accidents, then perhaps manual is not for you.

 

LOL!

 

You're comparing a car that has less horsepower than my jetski to clutch wear on a 330 hp car? You're funny...

Either way, my point is that first gear is there for a reason. It still stands that starting in second every time will lead to premature clutch wear compared to doing it right and starting in first like you're supposed to.